Join A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition-LA, including member groups Free PalestineAlliance and Palestinian American Women's Association; the NationalCouncil of Arab Americans-LA; Muslim American Society FreedomFoundation; and other progressive organizations at an emergency protestthis Wednesday against the brutal, racist U.S.-Israeli war against thepeople of Palestine and Lebanon.

Incoordination with the National Emergency March on Washington, D.C. ...Regional Emergency March in Los Angeles

Defendthe People of Palestine and Lebanon!

Stop the U.S.-Israeli War!

Saturday, August 12, 1 pmLocation TBA, Los AngelesFor more info call 323-464-1636 or email answerla@answerla.org.The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, the National Council of Arab Americans and theMuslim American Society Freedom Foundation have jointly initiated aNational Emergency March on Washington in defense of the people ofPalestine and Lebanon who are under brutal attack by the U.S.-backedIsraeli government. On August 12, thousands will gather in Washington,D.C., and at regional demonstrations in Los Angeles and San Francisco todemand an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on the Middle East.

Israel is bombing crowded neighborhoods and civilian infrastructure inLebanon, as it destroys homes and kills indiscriminately in itsmurderous assault on Gaza. More than 85 Palestinians and 70 Lebanesepeople have been killed in Israeli actions so far. The number of deadand injured will likely increase rapidly in the coming days.

Israel's U.S.-backed deliberate attacks on the civilian populationsof Lebanon and Gaza, with the intent of causing maximumsuffering, are crimes against humanity. What we arewitnessing today in Lebanon and Gaza is collective punishmentagainst the whole Lebanese and Palestinian populations.

All progressive, anti-war, Muslim,Arab American, trade union and civil rights organizations should standwith the oppressed peoples of the Middle East and demand an end to theU.S.-Israeli war.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

“Friends of the Farm”

Help Us Save the Largest Urban Farm in the U.S.

Action Alert Action Alert Action Alert Action Alert

What: Join “Friends of the Farm,” an autonomous international collection of compassionate beings, to demand that the Mayor and City Council of the City of LosAngeles intervene in the imminent destruction of one of the most successful, autonomous community projects and an exquisite landmark of Los Angeles:

The South Central Farm, the largest urban farm in the U.S.!

Why: February 5, 2006: The official eviction notice may be served within days! For 13 years, 350 families have tended a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles. In between freight lines and warehouses, in the shadows of the downtown skyscrapers grandparents and their grandchildren are growing their own corn, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and other staples has helped make good nutrition affordable. Traditional crops blossoming from heirloom seeds like chipillin, alachi, quelite and pipicha have helped keep meso-american culture and natural medicine alive. This urban farm, the largest in the U.S., provides a safe, children-friendly environment for 350 families and thousands of visitors who come to the lively farmers market on Sundays or other social/cultural events hosted at the farm. The farm is also an oasis of green-space that helps to create wildlife habitat and to lessen air and water pollution in the surrounding community.

The City of L.A. acquired the land in the late 1980s through eminent domain and a 4.7 million dollar settlement, but abandoned plans to build a trash incinerator after community protests. In 1992, in the wake of the uprising the mayor at the time mitigated this project to the community to quench the social and economic inequalities that initially sparked the uprising. In 1994, officials transferred title to the Harbor Department for 13.1million dollars, which contracted with the L.A. Regional Food Bank to operate a community farm on the property. In 2003, the City Council agreed to sell the 14 acres back to the original owner, private developer Ralph Horowitz, for 5.1 million dollars and who wants to demolish the urban farm to build a warehouse. The 350 families (“South Central Farmers”) and community supporters of the South Central Farm have been camping out in the field since July of 2005 to prevent Ralph Horowitz from destroying this vibrant urban farm that provides significant benefits to the city of Los Angeles.

The struggle to save the South Central Farm is about food security, environmental and social justice: all communities deserve safe access to nutritious food, parks, gardens and safe place for children, youth and their families. The South Central Farmers are self-sufficient and are working diligently to protect this community asset.

We want the mayor and community to call for an investigation of this illegal sale and immediately resolve the threat of physical eviction. Approximately 8 million dollars of the citizen’s money has already been squandered and over 350 families will be immediately pushed deeper into poverty. Don’t let them take food out of our children’s mouths. It is a basic human right to feed yourself and your family!!

How: Actions for the week of 2/5/06-2/11/06: 1. Write or call in to “Ask the Mayor on CBS2, KCAL9, and ABC7 News”: Every week, Mayor Villaraigosa goes on television to broadcast answers toquestions community members have phoned or emailed in to the station.Follow these links and address the mayor:CBS2 /KCAL9: http://www.cbs2.com/askthemayorABC7: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=features&id=32550862. Call the mayor’s office and demand for a “Town Hall” meeting to review his plans for saving the South Central Farm. In his campaign to become mayor and serving as mayor, he advocated earnestly for the preservation of the South Central Farm. So now that farmers are facing an oncoming eviction to be carried out by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department......where is his plan?!?!Contact Mayor Antonio Villariagosa:Email: mayor@lacity.orgPhone: (213)978-0600 3. Join the delegation of the South Central Farmers for Public Comments atCity Hall this Friday, February 10, 2006.Place: Los Angeles City Hall200 N. Spring St.Los Angeles, CA 90012In the Council Chamber, 3rd floor@ 10:00am(arrive early at9:00am to sign in)- Be sure to wear green to display your solidarity with the farmers!! 4. Camp out at the Farm!! Spend a night of solidarity with the farmers. Youcan make friends around a camp fire. We have music nights, film nightsand potlucks. Please take this opportunity to bring supply donations of water, flashlights, batteries, food, firewood, blankets, tents and anything else possibly needed. If you plan to camp out, please RSVP with the farmers. Contact them through their website www.southcentralfarmers.com or email them at southcentralfarmers@electrolandia.com.We want this to be a dynamic campaign of support for the South Central Farmers!We are the community! The fate of this struggle which the farmers have carried for almost three years is in our hands. They have done and will continue to do their part in this struggle but success will not come without the efforts of the extended community.We are joining the farmers in voicing Aqui Estamos y No Nos Vamos!!----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Any questions and ideas regarding this alert should be addressed to “Friends of theFarm”. You may contact us at friendsofthefarm@mail.com.For information on the South Central Farmers, please visit www.southcentralfarmers.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

SUPLEMENTO COMUNITARIO

Suplemento Comunitario, hosted by Pedro Sanchez and Juan Carlos Navarro, every other Tues from 9 to 9:30pm, seeks to provide an alternative voice for the Latina American community. It is vital that we create a dialogue about our needs, our problems, our struggles, and our victories. We seek to:

1) disseminate information about diverse issues that are of central importance to the community such as education, health, environment, tenant and workers? rights, and proposed laws and government policy,

2) explore the rich and valuable art and culture of the Latin American community, and to

3) give due attention to and inform the public on community organizations that work to protect and educate us on such issues.